Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized by CASA de Maryland, Familias Latinas Unidas, and other organizations, marchers describing themselves as "Obama Orphans," or children whose parents have been deported, called on President Barack Obama to keep his campaign promise of comprehensive immigration reform. less

Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized ... more

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized by CASA de Maryland, Familias Latinas Unidas, and other organizations, marchers describing themselves as "Obama Orphans," or children whose parents have been deported, called on President Barack Obama to keep his campaign promise of comprehensive immigration reform. less

Dozens of U.S.-born children from across the country traveled to the White House with their undocumented parents to march and demonstrate against recent deportations July 28, 2010 in Washington, DC. Organized ... more

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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Students hold a sign during a demonstration by immigrant student for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. In a policy change, the Obama administration said it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. less

Students hold a sign during a demonstration by immigrant student for an end to deportations and urge relief by governmental agencies for those in deportation proceedings on June 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, ... more

Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

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Democratic Party workers hand out signs at a celebration marking Mexican Independence Day September 14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Democratic Party is working hard to register Latino voters in Colorado, which will be an important swing state in November's presidential election. less

Democratic Party workers hand out signs at a celebration marking Mexican Independence Day September 14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Democratic Party is working hard to register Latino voters in Colorado, ... more

Photo: John Moore / Getty Images

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Volunteer Ginny Barahona of Washington, hands out buttons before first lady Michelle Obama spoke at a Hispanic caucus.

Volunteer Ginny Barahona of Washington, hands out buttons before first lady Michelle Obama spoke at a Hispanic caucus.

The comprehensive immigration reform bill penned by the so-called Gang of Eight passed a major test vote on the Senate floor this afternoon despite coming under fire from Republicans rallying for tougher border enforcement legislation.

The Senate voted 82-15 to proceed with debate on the 1076-page S.744 bill, which Republicans denounced on two major counts: weak measures to enforce border security and provisions that would give Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano full discretion to create a pathway to citizenship.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz compared the bill to the 1986 reform overhaul supported by President Ronald Reagan, which granted amnesty and made failed promises to secure the nation’s borders. Cruz introduced five amendments, including several that would boost border security, during the Judiciary Committee markup, all of which were voted down. He plans to reintroduce them as the Senate continues to debate the bill.

Despite his opposition to the Senate proposal — and his vote against continuing with debate on the measure — Cruz conceded that he was on the losing side.

“This bill is going to pass the U.S. Senate with a substantial margin,” Cruz conceded. “But, absent major revisions, this bill will crash and burn in the House, and it is designed to do so.”

Texas Sen. John Cornyn — who, unlike Cruz, voted to proceed with debate — continued to push his Senate colleagues to toughen border security as they mull proposed changes in the legislation. The San Antonio Republican also pushed back against criticism of his RESULTS amendment as a “poison pill” on the Senate floor today, claiming that it “embraces underlying metrics in the Gang of Eight bill.” The amendment would require 100 percent situational awareness, full operational control, a biometric exit system and the implementation of a national E-Verify system for employers hiring illegal immigrants.

Today, House Immigration Reform Caucus Chairman Rep. Ted Poe, along with fellow Republican Reps. Lamar Smith of San Antonio and Bill Flores of Bryan, announced legislation responding to Republican calls for tougher border enforcement. The SMART Border Act would require a Congressional vote to certify whether or not border control has been achieved after 90 days. If the border were not secured after that time period, an additional 1,500 border control officers would be deployed.

But Senate Democrats countered that the Gang of Eight bill gives border control measures teeth, making them the toughest in the nation’s history.

“There’s a heck of a lot of border security in this bill,” said New York Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer, who added that Senate Republicans were reacting as if the $6.5 billion allotted to border control “do not count.”